Machines and electrical devices commonly require the use of electrical connectors comprising a male plug inserted into a female socket. Such electrical connectors allow the device, or components of the device, to be disconnected from electrical power to allow disassembly, maintenance, or repair of the device.
Electrical connectors for complex machinery may include a plurality of electrical pins on a male coupler which mate with a corresponding plurality of pin sockets in a female coupler. The couplers are generally shaped or notched so that they can be connected in only one orientation to allow proper mating of the respective pins and sockets.
In some situations requiring multiple pin electrical connectors, the connector must be positioned in a location inaccessible to human reach. In such situations it is usually possible to provide either or both of the couplers with an extra length of electrical cable. The couplers can be connected by extending the electrical cable when the components of the device are separated, and the cable can be coiled in a suitable place when the components are joined. However, in other blind environments the use of extra cable may be undesirable or impossible.
In a helicopter, for example, an electrical connection is required inside the rotor mast assembly. In the past this type of connection typically involved couplers having an extra length of coiled wire that had to be fed up through a standpipe so that the slipring assembly of the rotor mast could be electrially connected or disconnected from the aircraft. However, highly sophisticated aircraft can require electrical cables having diameters of 11/2 inches or more. In such aircraft it may not be possible to provide electrical connectors with extra lengths of cable because it is difficult or impossible to coil such cables sufficiently due to the minimum bend radius of approximately 10 times the diameter of the cable. Furthermore, the substantial weight of an extra length of coiled cable is undesirable in aircraft where weight savings is a major consideration.
Providing a multiple pin electrical connector in a standpipe inaccessible to human reach and sight requires a self-aligning connector for properly orienting and engaging the pins of the connector. Thus, a need has been identified for a self-aligning multiple pin electrical connector that provides proper aligning and mating of the pins of the electrical connector in a blind environment inaccessible to human reach and sight.